Just a couple of weeks ago Marriott rolled out a credit card in South Korea. It was interesting for its hotel breakfast benefit and easier earning of Bonvoy Platinum status through card spend than what’s offered to U.S. customers.
Now Marriott has announced two cobrand credit cards for members in Mexico. They’re issued by Banorte which also offers the United Airlines co-brand South of the Border.
- The Marriott Bonvoy (Gold) credit card comes with Bonvoy Silver status and offers an initial bonus of 12,500 points after US1000 in purchases within 3 months (22,500 points for applications by July 31, 2021). Earning 4 points per US dollar at Marriott; 2 points per US dollar on grocery and airfare purchases; and 1 point per dollar elsewhere. It takes US$7500 in annual spend to earn a Free Night Award. The card comes with 10 elite night credits each year.
- The Marriott Bonvoy Inspire (Platinum) credit card comes with Bonvoy Gold status (2pm late checkout, basically) and earn is 6 points per US dollar at Marriott and 3 points per US dollar on airfare, grocery, gas and dining. The card’s initial bonus is 25,000 points after US$1000 within the three months (35,000 for applications by July 31, 2021). The card comes with 15 elite night credits each year.
Mexico City airport benefits from Mastercard – including airport lounge in terminal 1 and 50% off valet parking are interesting. Oddly I’ve only been able to find the basic card on the Banorte website.
These cards are weaker than what’s offered in the U.S. market, from a much lower initial bonus to less earning on spend. The most compelling argument for the cards is getting and keeping them for annual elite nights towards status. It seems like the Banorte Marriott cards will have Marriott’s 1 million Bonvoy members in Mexico running north towards the border.
Driving on international cobrands is an interesting way to raise additional revenue in new markets. I’m surprised other global brands have remained fairly limited in the markets in which cards are issued (even though some markets may be tough due to local restrictions or caps on interchange rates). Marriott is no slouch of course – they did not even lose money in 2020 as the hotel industry collapsed due to the pandemic.
Gary, this is one of your best headlines ever.
Quiero Taco Bell! Pero no Marriott.
Gary, you will trigger roughly 3/4 of your readership into believing unconditionally there is a CARAVAN of migrants steaming towards the US border, sending their worst people (but then they magically forget about it the day after the next election when Tucker stops talking about it)
@UA-NYC The big crApple is a crime-ridden, trash-encrusted, lethally-mismanaged dumpster fire that slowly sucks the life out of its inhabitants while simultaneously convincing them that they are the smartest, most moral people in the world and should be allowed to run said world with no restraints or accountability.
Go get me a beer and pipe down.
Mexican credit cards are hard to come by, even for ex-pats with good credit.
What is Banorte charging for these cards and where can one find the application? I would like to avoid the conversion fee MC and VISA apply
@FatLip – go enjoy your Texarkana or Southern Alabama piece of S town you live in and I’ll keep pitying you, and you’ll keep wishing you lived some place more interesting
Gary, how is it that UA-NYC is allowed to continually show up on your blog to inject crazy political fantasies and attack other commenters?
I thought this was a travelblog.
Marriott Bonvoy is the best loyalty program and offers the best credit cards on the market
Marriott Bonvoy has the best loyalty program and offers the best credit credits
@Joseph N – you realize the fantasy of the migrant caravan invasion on the US/MX border is a tool of the Right, to stoke xenophobia, right? Go back and look up them getting whipped into a frenzy right before the 2018 midterms, and then, poof, day after election, no more Fox News coverage.
(and btw I’ve been a reader and commenter on this site for well over a decade now, unlike all the recent MAGA trolls who arrived as of late)
The best offer is the UAE Emirates bank bonvoy card of 200k points….
@FatLip straight up, don’t let a lame a$$ like @UA-NYC spoil your day, he had to look up how to spell xenophobia twice, I’m sure. The news is filled with drama from UA passengers, he’s one of the ones causing most of it. Gary has put up with him for way too long, and all his moronic nonsense. The real traveling business people of this country ignore people like him, so join us in that. He and Biden are just about the same person, same intellectually, same low bar character, both time wasters being puppeteered. He knows how to spell “troll” though, very well, all by himself.
Sorry Gary, for UA-NYC turning this into a microcosm of the political sh*tshow that his president creates. Now back to our regularly scheduled travel centered discussion (it’s only for grown ups). Thanks for posting, Gary, great angle as usual.
Due to Covid
All offers are useless
We have been paying 139$/yr Scotia visa
for 2 years travelled but were never able to avail of any services because of covid
No priority lounges access since 2020
The credit card companies should credit us for all this and still making us pay 139$ for no use
Maybe I should contact the news about this